Tunney side of sports

Occasionally I'll talk with someone who always seems to have the complaint "If I didn't have bad luck, I wouldn't have any luck at all."

Words of encouragement don't seem to detour these folks; even explaining the Law of Attraction doesn't help.

The "law" says you are what you think about or what you want to happen. It is more than just the power of positive thinking; it is planning and then acting upon your plan. The world of sports is full of this.

So, was it luck that Stanford University QB Andrew Luck didn't have when he wasn't awarded the 2011Heisman Trophy?

Luck was a season-long favorite to be selected as the player deemed the most-outstanding in collegiate football. Was the lengthy publicity too much pressure or too much hype?

The 2011 Heisman was awarded to Robert Griffin III (better known as RG3) of the Baylor Bears (9-3). Griffin's stats were exceptional. In post-Heisman interviews, Griffin was impressive in his character and personality. My concern with the Heisman Trophy, but has nothing to do with Griffin, has always been that the awardee should be a senior, whose eligibility has been completed.

Griffin, a junior, is only the second "Griffin" to be awarded the Heisman — the first being Archie from Ohio State University, who received the award twice in 1974 and '75, and the sixth player from Ohio State.

Luck, a graduating senior, would have been the second player from Stanford — the first being quarterback Jim Plunkett. In the NFL Plunkett won two Super Bowls and was MVP in SB XV.

It's interesting to note that not all Heisman awardees have been successful in the NFL, which says that being the most outstanding college player does not always translate to the professional ranks.

This is where the "blessing" comes in. You don't have to be the best in college to move-on. In fact, early on, you don't have to be the best at anything to be successful later.

Speaking of "blessings," while there is never a wrong/ poor time to count your blessings, this time of year reminds me what my father once said, "Count your blessings."